Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemThe pedagogy of engagement: classroom management vs. facilitating learning( 2019)This thesis explored the way upper primary teachers think about student engagement and how they operationalise the concept within their classrooms. Student engagement has been frequently linked to academic success, and improving the engagement of students continues to be a priority for policy makers and practitioners alike. Despite an abundance of research, it remains questionable whether researcher conceptions of student engagement adequately represent the way teachers experience the concept. Teachers' perspectives on student engagement and their engagement-related practices were investigated over two studies using an exploratory sequential mixed methods design. In Study One, in-depth interviews were conducted with 16 teachers to explore their beliefs about student engagement in learning. Teachers described six qualitatively different forms of engagement and disengagement, as well as a complex process for facilitating student engagement within lessons. A typology of engagement and a pedagogical framework for engaging students were proposed based on the findings. Study Two sought to test the validity of the typology as a representation of teachers' descriptions of student engagement and its usefulness in coding teachers' engagement-related interactions within observed lessons. Four teachers were interviewed and four lessons observations for each teacher were conducted. In addition, 72 students within those classrooms were surveyed to explore their perceptions of aspects of the learning environment, including their understanding of teacher expectations for student engagement. Qualitative analysis of interview and observation data revealed that teachers varied in their expectations for student engagement within lessons, their views on the role of peers in student engagement, and in the frequency with which they intervened within lessons to facilitate different forms of student engagement. Quantitative analysis of survey data suggest that students in different classrooms perceive different expectations for how they will engage in learning experiences. A model is proposed for thinking about the pedagogy of student engagement, providing an alternative vantage point from which to explore the concept, one that is grounded in the real-life experiences of teachers facing the ongoing challenge of engaging students in classroom learning experiences.
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ItemAn investigation of Samoan student experiences in two Homework Study Groups in Melbourne( 2015)This research examines Samoan student experiences in two Homework Study Groups in Melbourne using a researcher-practitioner approach. The study highlights the need for teachers to acknowledge students’ preferred learning methods, especially those of minority backgrounds like the Samoan participants in this study. Samoan symbolic meanings from traditional tattoos and decorative ornaments are used as metaphors to describe the positive responses provided by participants in this study. Similar to the way in which the tatau (tattoo) symbols used in ritual tattooing for Samoan men and women represented readiness to serve one’s family and extended community, educational aspirations and employment pathways are explored from a participant perspective as a way of serving and supporting their migrant families in Melbourne. Through a detailed investigation of the experiences of students in two homework study groups in Melbourne, this study finds that while students and their families place a high priority on learning, their cultural practices are not compatible with standard Western learning approaches. The homework study group provided a social space in which students could ask the teacher questions without fear of appearing foolish, and in which they could apply themselves to study. It provided a physical study space away from the demands that Samoan families place on their young people, and it provided a cultural space in which the students could learn according to fa’aSamoa (traditional values and beliefs). This study makes a contribution to an understanding of the motivations of Melbourne-based Samoan students to learn, of what concerns them, and of impediments to their educational success. It also offers insight into the benefits that setting up a specific space for students offers, when its specific intent is influencing the merging of traditional Samoan and Western ideas to further learning and understanding. Participants in this study indicated that Homework Study Groups provided structure and learning strategies that improved academic outcomes. It was not only a space in which participants felt they could seek assistance and support from a teacher/researcher who understood the importance of their cultural values and beliefs, it was also a space where participants felt safe to share the highs and lows of their educational experiences.
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ItemThe use of online technologies to enhance student learning and foster engagement in drama education( 2014)This thesis explores the use of various online technologies in drama education. It asks in what ways can a teacher utilise emerging technologies to enhance learning and foster engagement in drama in a secondary school context. This was a single case study undertaken in a naturalistic environment where descriptive data was obtained and analysed using an inductive approach. Students used online technologies alongside more conventional classroom practice in a Year 10 drama course, such as writing blog posts in between lessons to replace the traditional drama journal. Wikis were used to co-construct meaning on common student goals, while the teacher employed audio podcasts instead of delivering theory lectures, writing classroom notes or distributing handouts. The students also used a Web forum as a repository for research information and a place for teamwork. This blended learning approach: a mixture of face-to-face instruction accompanied by out-of-class online communication, resulted in a student-centred, constructivist environment that exposed the different learning styles of the students. During the course of this study, due to the use of online technologies many students experienced increased engagement in their learning, enhanced cooperation with others, a sense of collegiality with classmates, and improved learning outcomes.
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ItemStudent views of talk interactions in learning: a case study of year 8 girls( 2013)The aim of this study is to identify student attitudes to classroom talk interactions, specifically class discussion, to ascertain whether students view these contexts as opportunities for learning. The study also sought to isolate the ways students recognise talk as helping them to learn. Further, it is aimed to inform the pedagogical practice of teachers to assist them to co-construct, with students, class discussions that are more productive. Data was collected for the study from two cohorts of Year 8 girls over consecutive years, interview data from students and also interviews with four Year 8 learning area teachers. In the embedded sequential mixed-method design employed in this research, each data set gave rise to the next which sought to explicate and expand the themes emerging from the previous data set. Relationships of significance were found between enjoyment, learning, participation, teacher style (questioning and timing) and classroom culture and a conceptual model was developed which attempted to diagrammatically represent those relationships. The results also indicate the essential role of responsibility as key to class discussion. Responsibility for the success of a class discussion, one in which learning takes place, was found to be shared jointly by students and teachers. The findings for the study recommend a whole school approach to articulating and consistently and consciously applying mechanisms identified to generate more effective class discussions.
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ItemIntroducing instrumental students to improvisation( 2012)Improvisation has been an integral component of music practice throughout a variety of world musics, such as the Indonesian Gamelan, Japanese Kabuki Theatre, African drumming, Australian Indigenous music, Klezmer music, the Indian Raga, Jazz and Popular music. Instrumental tuition, within the present system of Western Education, on the other hand, tends to emphasise an early and ongoing commitment to the reading of notated music. Some of the literature in the area suggests that the emphasis for instrumental tuition should be concerned with improvisation thus producing opportunities to achieve a more personalised and independent result with music expression. By including improvisation within regular tuition the student instrumentalist could feel more at one with his or her own voice and imagination, rather than attempting to take on the role of reproducing the character and style of another person's notation. This thesis focussed on the development and provision of improvised music activities with high school students from Years 10 and 11. Consideration was given to how these improvised music activities might have impacted not only their improvisational skills but also broader attitudes to music. The study included a specifically designed curriculum emphasising improvisational techniques. It was constructed and implemented over a ten-week period with accompanying interviews, questionnaire and video. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the implementation of this curriculum and how it could assist the learning and teaching of improvisation. The study's performance-ensemble consisted of rhythm and lead instrumentalists where all participants had the opportunity to engage with specific instrumental techniques that assisted the expression of improvisation. Simultaneously, all participants had the liberty of managing the lesson-content with original extemporised melody and composition. The results showed the participants experienced increased confidence with improvisation. The conclusion suggests that improvisation be viewed as an integral component within the teaching and learning of instrumental music.
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ItemStudents learn best when assessed for learning( 2012)Perceptions related to student learning have altered. Independent learning has become the focus, encouraging today’s learners to think critically, laterally and creatively. The change is inevitable, but how do we monitor and record such changes? Crucial to the advancement in education and its pedagogy, is the understanding that all learning is dependent on a number of factors, the most important being the willingness of the student to learn and the practices of the classroom teacher. An important element of any research conducted in an attempt to understand the phenomenon of classroom practice and learning is observation. For this research, a two-month study was undertaken, using a case study class from an inner city private boy’s school. Lessons were observed and videotaped in order to provide the researcher with an authentic view of what went on in the classroom. The key research questions were: 1. How do the students and the teacher perceive and act out their roles within a classroom, attempting to develop learner awareness? 2. How does assessment feedback manifest within the classroom learning dynamic and contribute to student learning? 3. Can an extended ethnographic observation of a one semester-length class contribute to knowledge about teaching, learning and formative assessment? Assessment for learning is a recommended element in teaching, given that the intention of any practitioner is to enhance student learning. It is difficult to know if the intended learning is taking place in any given classroom. We can assume that students are learning if the output of information meets the expectation of the teacher in concurrence with the teaching (input). The assessment undertaken should identify the level of student understanding and learning however; this depends on the individual teacher and their objectives as an educator. Some learning cannot be seen. The ability to think critically or understand concepts is not easily measured or monitored. In order to identify such ambiguous learning, various forms of analysis must take place. Participatory observation although passive, provides an opportunity to evaluate the relationship and dynamics, which exist between teacher and student. Different strategies were used to enhance student learning by the subject teacher, imparting his own philosophies on teaching and placing importance on the use of criteria sheets and note taking. Whilst the information gathered in the classroom was used to meet curriculum and reporting requirements, the ultimate intention of this teacher in his lessons was to ensure that the students took responsibility for their own learning, hence assisting them in meeting their own goals. The results of this study were reported as interpretations of the data, which emerged from the classroom lessons observed. The findings focused on the relationship between the teacher, students and learning. The value in videotaping classes was established and is recommended for use in the reflection process. The opportunity to discuss and share ideas, emanating from the classroom with colleagues in a casual and supportive manner is encouraged. Feedback is an essential component of learning. The purpose of this study is to build on current research in the area of formative assessment, improve classroom practice and revisit the intended purpose of formative assessment.